Double Blinded
by ktrekkie
Summary: Konoha's scientists are conducting a research study on dreams that is open to the public. When Sakura volunteers herself, she finds she's in for a lot more than she bargained for, and that the experiment requires a partner. KakaSaku
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi everyone! I've been meaning to write a kakasaku fic for ages, but couldn't think of anything...Until a few days ago when this wild plot hit me in the face. :) Finally I can put my degree in Psychology to use. LOL. So here it is! Rated M! you've been warned!

Title: Double-Blinded  
>Author: ktrekkie<br>Fandom:Naruto  
>Rating: M<br>Pairing: Kakashi/Sakura  
>Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Kishimoto. I don't own anything and don't make money off this.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>dou·ble-blind<strong>

_adj _[**duhb**-_uh_l-**blahynd**]

_of or pertaining to an experiment or study in which neither party, the participants or the experimenters, know the critical aspects of the experiment. Double-blind procedures are used to guard against both conscious and unconscious experimenter bias and placebo effects._

* * *

><p>Sakura was just finishing her rounds in the emergency clinic when Shizune tapped her shoulder.<p>

"You're done for the day, Sakura. Thank you for all your hard work." Sakura put down the last patient file in its place.

"Thank you, Shizune-san. I'll be going now." Sakura turned to leave.

"Oh, Tsunade-sama wishes to speak to you. Make sure to check in with her before you go." Sakura gave a slight bow.

"Will do. I'll see you tomorrow!" she smiled as left to room and made her way through the long hospital hallway.

She wondered what her sensei wanted with her. She made her way toward the elevator that led to the top of the Hokage tower. Having the Hokage as a medic meant that the village hospital was always in close at hand. It was a precaution that meant the difference between life and death in serious medical emergencies.

Sakura had recently been made Jounin as she became the top medic nin in her field under Shizune and Tsunade, which meant a great deal to Konoha's hospital and medical team. She was often assigned to the emergency room, where her skills and expertise were invaluable. It also meant she was required to work long hours with an erratic schedule and often found herself exhausted and overworked. She enjoyed her work very much, though. Sakura had finally found her niche, the one area that she was passionate about and excelled at, which was a far cry from the weak and directionless genin that she remembered herself to be. She was proud of how much she had grown and matured. She was now on equal footing with some of the top ninja in her village. Sakura softly knocked on her sensei's door, before she opened it and let herself inside.

"Tsunade-shishou, you wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes." She replied as she fished out a small white envelope from her desk drawer. "I thought you would be interested in this. The dream study being conducted by Konohagakure Intelligence Division has got one space left and I thought you would also appreciate the money. Each participant is compensated 100 ryo." Tsunade held out the envelope to her student. "A very nice incentive if you ask me."

Sakura took the envelope and stared at it. That much money for participating in an experiment? Though, she now questioned what exactly she had to do, she couldn't pass up the offer.

"Thank you very much, Shishou. I am interested, actually." She had heard about this study being conducted because she remembers them trying to get as many people as possible to participate. The intelligence division expressed great excitement, stating that these new dream study's were the beginning stages of what could possibly be a way to collect information from other people both seamlessly and undetected. It could mean a great asset for intelligence gathering missions. Though she would have loved to learn more, or even participate, she simply did not have the time and the energy and this point in her life. However, the envelope she held in her hand meant otherwise.

"Great. I'm also giving you a week off while you're at it. I know I've been working you like a dog these past months in the hospital. When you finish with the paperwork in that envelope, you can hand it back to me sealed and I will pass it on to the research team for you." Sakura's eyes widened.

"Oh! Thank you, Shishou. It was nothing I couldn't handle. And I will. I'll be going, then. Thank you again." She replied with a bow and began to walk to the door.

"Take care of yourself, Sakura."

Sakura nodded her head in reply as he opened the door and made her way home for the day. She was ecstatic with today's turn of events. Not only did she have a whole week off work, but she was now able to participate in one of the most groundbreaking studies to come out of Konoha. She quickly made her way home and opened the envelope to read exactly what she had to do. She kind of had the gist of what the experiment was about since a lot of her friends were also recruited for the study, including Naruto. She remembered, as he explained it, that you had to pick a partner, of a different age and a different gender to do the study with, and you were both given a serum that would make you both share a dream together. It was a brief explanation, but she assumed that the experiment has something to do with how the serum could gather information from someone's mind in an unconscious state. It was a fascinating idea and could prove to be an invaluable weapon on spy missions. She began to read the papers she unfolded from the envelope.

_To whom it may concern,_

_You have been selected to participate in an experiment that will hopefully result in new and advanced information gathering techniques that will be invaluable to Konohagakure's Intelligence Division. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how the brain sorts information when there are two people participating in a shared dream. The experiment will involve a questionnaire, the selection of a partner, with whom you must complete your participation, ingestion of a safe tested, chakra-laced serum, and a recount of your resulting dream. You and your partner's participation will remain completely anonymous, as you will both be assigned a number, which will be your identification for the duration of the experiment. Our only information taken from you will be that which is gathered from the questionnaire you provide, as well as any subsequent paperwork submitted. Below is the list of the requirements needed for participation in this experiment for you as well as your partner. Two questionnaires have been attached to this letter. Please enclose the two completed questionnaires in a sealed envelope and deliver them to Lady Tsunade. You may then receive the serum with instructions from her the day after your delivery. Please keep your participant number as you will need it to receive the serum. A compensation of 100 ryo will be given to each participant at the completion of their experiment. _

Sakura was beaming with excitement. The whole concept of dream interpretation was fascinating to her she quickly read through the requirements: ages 18 and up, in good health, and other standard competency requirements. It was the same for the chosen partner except, the only additional requirements were that they are of a different age than her and of a different gender, and that they were not already participating in the experiment. Apparently they were not too picky about who their participants were.

Her thoughts raced as to who she would pick to do the experiment with her. Since she could only pick a boy, that narrowed her search quite a bit. Her mind instantly went to Naruto and Sasuke, but they were the same age as her. Naruto was already participating in the study as well. She figured she should just find Naruto and ask his advice. She could get some insight on exactly what happens in the experiment, and maybe who she could pick. She folded the handful of papers back into the envelope, which she stuck in her pocket and left to find Naruto.

She knew Ichiraku Ramen would be a good bet.

And no doubt there he was, gobbling down what undoubtedly was his dinner.

"Naruto! Guess what!" she walked toward him and sat on the stool beside him. He turned, swallowing quickly.

"Eh? Sakura-chan! What brings you here? Tsunade Baa-can released you from her slave labour?" Sakura slapped his arm playfully at his question.

" Baka! Don't say that! I actually like working there, but I came to ask about that experiment you did. I got chosen for it too." Naruto's eyebrows heightened.

"Really? That's cool, actually. I think you would like it a lot more than I did. It was too much writing…and thinking…ugh" He grimaced, slowly getting back to working on his bowl of ramen.

"Oh, what happened? Who did you pick to do it with? What dream did you have?" She knew she was asking a billion questions, but she truly wanted to know. She wanted to know what she was getting into.

"Hmm, believe it or not, I asked Ayame while I was reading letter they gave me here at Ichiraku, and she agreed. It wasn't even that hard to do. When you get the bottle of serum, you both have to concentrate some of your chakra into it, and then before you go to bed you both drink it, then when you sleep you have a dream together and it's usually about something you have in common. In my dream we were both eating ramen! Haha! I guess that's what we had in common, so you write about it on the form they give you and send it back to them. That was pretty much it. Pretty easy, huh? Oh! And if they are interested in your dream, it said they might ask you do it again. Cool, huh? Not bad for 100 ryo" Sakura sat on the end of her seat. It seemed such an easy task to do for 100 ryo. And the whole experience from Naruto's recollection actually sounded fun.

"Wow, that does sound easy." Her mind raced at the all the possible things she could buy with that money. A new dress? A vacation? New medical supplies? The choices seemed endless. Speaking of choices, she began to wonder who she was going to choose to ask to join her for the experiment.

"So, do you know who you're going to choose to do the study with you?" Naruto asked before he took a big bite.

"I was just thinking about that. I have no idea." Her mind raced through several candidates. She decided she wanted to choose someone she knew well, that she was friends with. She didn't want it to be a distant acquaintance, just in case her dream happened to be about something personal.

"What about Yamato-Taichou? He might be up for it." Naruto knew how closely they have worked together over the years. Sakura thought about it.

"No, he works closely with Anbu. I'm pretty sure he's already participating." She thought about all her male friends on different teams, but they were all the same age as her. Who else was she close with?

Tsunade? A girl

Shizune? A girl

"What about Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto blurted out as he slurped in the middle of taking a new bite of noodles.

Sakura thought about it. It seemed he was her only option. She couldn't think of anyone else that fit the requirements that she would be comfortable sharing a dream with. Maybe Naruto could share one with anyone, but for some reason, a dream felt personal to her, and she didn't want to share one with just anyone.

"Kakashi-sensei might be hard to convince." She thought out loud. He wasn't one to jump in to help on his own initiative, usually. He might just refuse, being too lazy to do it at all.

"You both don't really have much in common. It would be interesting to see what your dream turns out to be" He continued to eat his ramen, smiling. It would be, now that she thought about it. Maybe that's just what the experimenters wanted.

"I think that's why they want your partner to be of a different age and gender. You'll have less in common"

"Ah, you're probably right! You should go ask him!"

"I will" She got up from her seat. "I'll go find him now. Thanks, Naruto" She smiled as she waved goodbye. "You've been a big help!"

"Don't mention it! Tell me how it goes after, okay?" Sakura turned as she walked.

"I will! Bye, Naruto!"

Unlike Naruto, Kakashi-sensei is usually a pain to find. It also didn't help that she hasn't seen him much since she became Jounin. With her erratic hospital schedule and a very busy mission roster, it was probably to be expected. If she remembered right, the last time she saw him was in the hospital after he came back from a mission. They had only exchanged a hello and it had been several months ago. She hoped he wasn't on a mission right now. She probably should have checked the roster before starting.

After checking some of his usual reading spots, she figured she might as well go to his apartment. She made her way up the worn concrete steps to the third floor of the apartment complex. She stood before the 5th door from the stairs and knocked.

No response.

She knocked again.

Still nothing.

She knocked again.

Just as she was about to leave she heard a faint rustling from behind the door. She waited a couple seconds before an extremely groggy and disheveled Kakashi was standing before her. His hair was a mess and he was wearing his standard mask, a sleeveless skintight shirt with his standard issue navy blue pants. She had probably just woken him up. And he didn't look happy.

"Sakura?" His eyes widened in surprise at seeing her at his doorstep. His anger vanished. "It's been a while. What brings you here?"

"I …umm… I wanted to ask you something…Can I come in?" Kakashi stepped aside as he opened his door wide enough to let her through. His face remained impassive, but she could tell by the air around him that he was curious about what exactly she wanted from him out of the blue. She made her way to his only couch in the living area as he sat on a wooden chair across from her.

"I must admit it's a surprise to see you, how have you been? I heard you're Jounin now." he leaned back against the backrest of the old wooden chair that creaked under the sudden weight.

"I am." She smiled softly "and I'm doing great actually. I'm working the emergency clinic at the hospital and Tsunade-shishou has been training me on how to do surgeries. It's a lot of work and a lot of hours to put in, but I am enjoying it." Her eyes always lit up when she talked about her work. "How have you been, Kakashi-sensei?"

"The same. Why, It seems like just yesterday you and the other two were learning how to walk across water, and regarding your sensei with utmost respect and reverence."

Sakura snorted

"Keep dreaming, sensei" she smiled as her thoughts came back to what she had come here for in the first place. "Speaking of which, I have a favour to ask of you." Kakashi's face showed interest as me leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands.

"What's this about?"

"Remember that experiment the intelligence division started doing on dreams and almost everyone in Konoha is participating?"

"Mm." Kakashi replied. "What about it?"

"Well, I got chosen. And we need to pick a partner, and I was wondering if you'd want to join me…"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. He seemed somewhat interested as Sakura went on about the purpose of the experiment and what they would have to do. How they would have to have a dream that they would both experience together, and that it would be interesting to see the results. After hearing Sakura pitch the idea, he thought for a moment.

"I don't know, Sakura" he started. "Don't you think it'll be weird since I'm your teacher?"

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm Jounin now, remember? Technically, I'm your equal now. And you haven't been my teacher for a while."

"That may be true. But, I'm on a short rest leave right now; I really don't want to waste it doing this experiment."

Time to pull out the kicker, she thought.

"Did I mention they're giving 100 ryo for **each** participant?" Sakura smiled her most convincing smile. She could see him working around the figure in his mind.

"Well then, when do we start?" he replied, sounding as if he was eager the entire time. This really was an offer he couldn't refuse though. They were practically giving away ryo.

Sakura handed him the envelope she received so he could read the letter. They moved toward his small table in the corner closer to his kitchen, so they could easily talk and do their paperwork at the same time. They decided to fill the questionnaires out at the same time. Sakura reminded him to make note of his number, as that would be his identification.

They sat silently as they went through a their booklets of diverse questions. The first couple were basic. Age, gender, education, family. Then the questions started to branch off from the ordinary. Favourite food, favourite colour, last time you traveled. They were really getting in depth with each question. It made sense though, with an accurate profile of who your participant was, the more you are able to accurately ascertain what kind of results to expect. So, she continued on until she came upon a certain question. She read it several times as her back stiffened.

_When was the last time you had been sexually active?_

Sakura paused and thought about her response. She was a virgin. What was she supposed to write? Did she need to be sexually active for this study? She doubted it, but it was an odd question nonetheless. She decided to just write "virgin" in the space provided. It's not like she didn't want to of course, it would be great to have a boyfriend, to experience 'the beauty of youth' as Gai would call it, but with her work schedule and with missions every other month, there was simply no time and no energy. She continued on with her quiz.

Kakashi saw her stiffen and noticed her apprehension at the question he knew was coming. 'She hasn't changed at all.' He thought.

She finally made it to the end of what seemed like endless trivial questions when finally all she needed was her signature, which meant her agreement to the terms and conditions: answering and recounting as honestly as possible, adhering to the parameters of the experiment and that she was free to opt out at any time. She signed her name gathered her booklet together, looking over to see that Kakashi has also finished. Her mind wandered to the possible answers he put for his questions. Especially, that kicker near the end. Kakashi handed his questionnaire to her to put into the envelope.

"So, when will we receive the serum?" Kakashi asked casually.

"The day after I hand in these papers." She began to seal the envelope. She quickly checked the time. "If I hurry, I can probably catch Tsunade before she leaves and we could receive the serum tomorrow." Kakashi nodded.

"That would probably be best. I'm actually back on the mission roster later this week." Sakura understood. Getting this over with sooner was better. She began to make her way out.

"Oh, before I go, could you give me your assigned number? I'll probably need it to pick up the serum." Kakashi scratched a series of numbers on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Thanks" She looked at the numbers. _2954831. _Hers were _2954830_.

'Should be easy enough', she thought

"When do you want me to come by tomorrow? With the serum and everything" She asked tentatively. Kakashi stood there for a moment.

"Come over for dinner." His eyes fell on her hand fiddling with the hem of her shirt.. "It's been quite a long time since I've seen one my favourite students" He stood there, stoic as ever. Sakura smiled.

"Weren't we your **only** students? You know, **ever**?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Yep." His one eye crinkled into what she knew to be a smile.

She playfully rolled her eyes as she turned the knob to open the door.

"Goodbye, sensei. I'll see you tomorrow." She opened the door and let herself out.

Kakashi, still standing in the same place, brought his arm up to rub the back of his neck. He wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into.

'For the ryo', he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Hey all! I am so so so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. My part time job decided to bestow upon me full time hours for about 2 and a half months and I must admit a had a bit of trouble getting back into my groove. I feel like one of those scumbag authors that post something and then never get back to it lol, and believe it or not, I used to be one of those readers that always complain about authors not updating. (I know, right?) Now that I am on the other side of the coin... I know what it's like now lol

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited, followed...everything lol. I love you guys. Thank you so much!

Anywho, here's the next chapter! enjoy!

Title: Double-Blinded  
>Author: ktrekkie<br>Fandom:Naruto  
>Rating: M<br>Pairing: Kakashi/Sakura  
>Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Kishimoto. I don't own anything and don't make money off this.<p>

* * *

><p>Sakura awoke to find rays of sun seeping through her window. It was something she was not used to as almost every morning she was out the door before sunrise to make her early morning rounds at the emergency clinic. Now, she wasn't really sure what to do with herself. It seemed the concept of free time was almost strange to her. Her mind drifted back to the events of yesterday: The relief from the long shift at work, the excitement at the prospect of receiving a large sum of money for almost nothing at all. To top it off, finding Kakashi-sensei and getting him to agree to do the experiment with her.<p>

She didn't realize it at first, but she hadn't had any proper interaction with her former sensei since she, Naruto and Sai were still Chuunin on regular 3 (sometimes 4) man cell missions. Sasuke, whose reputation is recovering after his defection from the village, was still Genin, much to his dismay. Despite the close team dynamic they all shared, Sakura, deep down, always had this niggling feeling in the back of her mind. It came from the notion that sometimes, during her Genin days, she felt slightly snubbed by her former sensei and teammates. To her it seemed, back then, everyone's focus was always on Sasuke and Naruto. Kakashi-sensei was always teaching them a new jutsu, or training them for something special, while she was left to fend for herself with whatever piss poor skills she had at the time. If such special attention had been given to her, would she have been much more powerful than she was now? Could she have surpassed her teammates? Of course, it made no difference now. She had found her passion, and her new sensei just happened to be the Hokage. Anyone could tell she had it good; she was being trained by the best. Now, she was almost on par with the best. But, she couldn't help but notice that no one took the initiative to see it in her first. She had to actively seek out the guidance and training that she needed. She knew Kakashi-sensei didn't ignore her on purpose. Things back then were hard for Naruto and Sasuke as they had to face many hardships and battles children their age should have never had to face. But when it came down to it, the main thing that she had wanted throughout her days as Genin, the one thing she was looking for, was any sort of acknowledgement or recognition from her sensei that she was worthy of the ninja profession, that she was worthy of her sensei's attention. Even now, it seemed Naruto, Sai, even Sasuke and Yamato-taichou, had made the effort to keep in touch with her, despite their busy lives.

But not Kakashi-sensei.

If it weren't for the couple of times they had crossed paths when he had been dragged to the hospital, she would have never had heard from him. This predicament, along with her obvious success as a medical ninja, left her still thirsting for that attention she craved as a Genin. Was he proud of her? Did he notice how much she had improved?

Sakura remembered why she never stayed in bed too long to revel in her thoughts. Her childhood insecurities were coming back to her and she hated how much it used to affect her. She quickly jumped into the shower and got ready for the day. Tsunade-shishou said that her serum would be ready for pickup in the late afternoon, so she thought she'd get some groceries done in the meantime. It had been forever since she had visited her local market as her fridge looked as if armageddon was upon it. She made her way out the door and onto the busy streets of Konoha.

It had been so long since she had been out midday like this. The busy streets were strangely nostalgic to her. She could recognize some familiar faces that passed her by as she made her way towards the market. When she finally got there, she picked up a basket and began to mentally list off the things she would need for the week. She was in the middle of scrutinizing a lemon when she heard a familiar shriek behind her.

'EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH? SAKURA-CHAAAAAAAAAAN!" Ino pounced, engulfing her in a bone breaking hug. Sakura could spot that singsong voice anywhere.

"Ino! It's been a while." Sakura turned to face her blonde friend and embraced her back.

"I know! Oh my god, it's like Tsunade-sama has been keeping you prisoner! Of course, I have to fill you in with the latest gossip!" Sakura groaned. When Ino got started, there was no way of stopping her.

Sakura made her way through the grocery aisles, followed by her animated blonde best friend who what currently reciting a rumoured encounter involving TenTen and Neji, but she frankly didn't care. She bagged her apples, and picked out her variety of foods for the week as her friend droned on, only to interject a comment every once in a while so that it looked like she was listening. It's not that she didn't like Ino, it was the total opposite. She was her closest girlfriend, outside of team 7 of course, and she was also somewhat of a rival as well. Gossip and most girly things just wasn't Sakura's thing, especially after only getting out of bed moments ago.

"So what are you doing outside of the hospital today anyway?" Sakura drew herself out of her reverie.

"Oh, Tsunade-shishou gave me a week off" She smiled at Ino's wide eyed expression.

"You're one lucky kunoichi you know" They proceeded to the cash register as Sakura unloaded her basket. "What I would give for a week of vacation right now..."

"I know what you mean. I was on the brink of exhaustion and Tsunade-sama surprised me out of nowhere."

Sakura, at first anxious that she had to sit through Ino's constant babble, was glad to have caught up with her after all this time. It was nice to finally have a familiar person to be around after all those months of constant work and study.

"Oh! Sakura! We're all going to be going to the bar next week sometime. It's sort of a mini celebration for Shikamaru completing his first S-rank mission as Jounin. Please come! Oh, everyone will be so happy to see you! Not to mention there will be guys there…" Ino wiggled her eyebrows indicating what exactly she meant by boys attending. It was Ino's never ending mission to find her a boyfriend.

"I'll think about it. I'll be back to work next week too, you know" Sakura paid for her things and took up her bags of groceries. Apparently, Ino did not like that answer.

"YOU'RE COMING, SAKURA!" She could swear here friend had gone psycho. "Think of Shikamaru! It's for him you know"

"I bet he probably things the whole thing is...troublesome" She barely stifled her laugh at the last word. Ino saw through her teasing and playfully nudged her shoulder.

"Oh, you think you're funny do you? I'm going to drag you there, Forehead. Whether you like it or not!" They began to part ways as both said their goodbyes.

"I'm sure you will, Pig! Haha. Bye, Ino!"

"See you later, Sakura!"

Sakura began on the path she came, making her way back home. It felt great to see a friendly face and just talk casually for a while. She realized maybe she should take breaks more often.

She walked into her front door and turned on the light, only to see two familiar faces sitting on her couch.

"Breaking and entering is a crime, you know", she said as she stepped out of her shoes and put her groceries on the counter.

Sasuke and Naruto were situated comfortably on her couch on the other side of the room.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. We wanted to come see how you're doing." Naruto gave his widest grin. Sasuke seemed as apathetic as always. "We figured team 7 needed some quality time, you know?"

"You figured, dobe, I wanted to keep training." Sasuke retorted.

"Ne, don't listen to him, Sakura. He's just mad he's still Genin and the Chuunin exams aren't till next summer."

"Don't worry, I'm sure no one in this village thinks of you as a Genin, Sasuke. Especially after everything you've been through." Sakura smiled. It was nice to see team 7 almost exactly like it was when they were young.

"It's not that I'm concerned about, really. I'm still stuck getting a Genin's pay. That alone is enough to drive you crazy..."

Sakura knew what he meant. Missions were paid for based on difficulty, and Genin missions did not pay much. He just had to hold out for a little while longer.

The three sat and talked for a while, about news in the village, recounting old times and Sasuke's dilemma. She was enjoying herself so much that she almost lost track of time.

"Oh, Shoot! You guys, I have to get going. I'm having dinner with Kakashi-sensei tonight." She got to her feet and began putting her groceries away that she had left on the counter.

"What?" Sasuke face was mixed with surprise and confusion.

Sakura stood there and realized he had no idea what she was talking about. Apparently Naruto hadn't told him anything about her and the experiment. She wondered if that may have not sounded right when it came out.

"Calm down, Sasuke-teme." Naruto nudged him out of the way. "So he agreed to do the experiment with you?" Naruto butted in, his eyes glittering with excitement.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I have to go pick up the serum from Tsunade before I see him." She continued to pack away her things.

"Wait, what is going on exactly?" Sasuke swatted Naruto's hand off of him.

"Sakura-chan's doing that dream experiment. She got Kakashi-sensei to be her partner for it." Sasuke understood. "You should probably get in on it if you're complaining about money."

"No thanks, dobe. I have better things to do."

The two boys got up to leave. Sakura grabbed her jacket and things as she rushed them out the door. She had completely lost track of time. Then again, it was probably no big deal to the perpetually late, copy-nin of Konoha.

She said her goodbyes to Naruto and Sasuke and headed towards the hokage tower.

Picking up the serum was fairly easy as she just needed to provide the identification numbers and was handed a small package. Placing it under her arm, she made her way to her old sensei's apartment.

She didn't quite get why he wanted to have dinner now that she thought about it. It had been almost a year since they had worked on a team mission. She wasn't even sure what she was going to talk about. The weather? She began to wonder if her sensei even knew how to cook. She made her way up the stairs and knocked on the door.

She was greeted by a fully standard issue dressed and masked Kakashi minus the flak jacket.

"Come in"

He stepped aside to let her through the door.

"I picked up the serum from Tsunade-shishou before I came here. Sorry if I'm late." Sakura removed her shoes and set the package aside as she removed her jacket.

"Not a problem. I was just finishing up dinner." His expression was completely serious. Sakura eyed him curiously.

"You ordered takeout didn't you?" she quipped as she walked into his apartment toward the kitchen table.

"I figured that would be the best option other than potentially poisoning us or burning this building down." He followed her towards the food that was laid out.

It wasn't anything fancy. It seemed to be regular, run-of-the-mill chinese take out. She would never admit it to anyone, being a medic and all, that it was one of her most favourite comfort foods. They both sat down and began spooning out the food onto their plates.

She began to wonder why he had wanted her over for dinner. It wasn't like they were close before she was Jounin. It seemed uncharacteristic of him to just want to catch up on old times, but she guessed it wasn't totally impossible. And it he obviously didn't plan on cooking it himself. But then again, this was Hatake Kakashi.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you're not usually the type to have spontaneous dinners with your subordinates. What gives?" She asked while secretly enjoying her dish. It was semi-awkward, she thought. Having dinner alone with her former sensei as if they were reconnecting after years of going their separate ways, yet she felt disconnected all the same.

"Are you saying I need a reason to catch up with one of my former students?" his eyes stayed on her, watching her formulate her response.

"I'm saying I think you'd rather be up in a tree reading your Icha Icha novels." She caught a small smile forming underneath his mask.

"That may be true, but you are my favourite student after all. I thought I would make an exception."

His response caught her off guard. She smiled back, but Kakashi caught the slight hesitation at his words.

"Is something wrong?"

She looked up suddenly, jolted from her short reverie. She cursed Kakashi's ability to read people.

"It's just…you always say I was your favourite student, but I guess it never really felt like that." She looked through her eyelashes, waiting for his response.

Kakashi's one eye gave her a questioning look, but he understood where she was going with this.

"I did teach you the basics. Chakra control and formation and all that."

Sakura was not satisfied with that response, and Kakashi read her face immediately.

"You know what I mean" Sakura replied. He then continued.

"I think Tsunade has been much more of a better fit for you as a teacher than I ever was."

Sakura felt irritated. He knew exactly what she was trying to say, but it seemed he wouldn't be giving her a direct response.

"How is working at the hospital? I hear Tsunade is pretty hard on you."

Great. A change of subject. They continued on with their meal.

"Yeah, I've been a bit overworked, actually. Hence, the sudden time off."

"You should consider yourself lucky. Tsunade almost never gives time off...unless perhaps you're recovering from a fatal injury." Sakura laughed.

"You got that right. Is that why you're the hardest ninja to track down in this village?"

Kakashi's one eye crinkled "You caught me."

It was no secret that once Lady Tsunade needed him, Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

"Or I just happen to be fatally injured. All the time..." He quipped.

Sakura smiled as his one eye then roamed across the room to the package she had left on the table.

"So, when's this experiment going to start?" he motioned over towards the package.

"Might as well start now..."

Sakura rose from her seat and brought the package over. His one eye followed her as she got up. Opening it, she found two booklets, each with their ID numbers, a letter, and a box containing a flask with the serum inside. She opened the letter and read it aloud.

_To __participants __2954830 and 2954831,_

_Your receipt of this letter indicates that the results of your questionnaires were satisfactory and that we in the Konohagakure Intelligence Division have officially approved you for participation in our cognitive dream study. Included with this letter, you will find two booklets labeled with your ID numbers and the serum itself. These booklets will belong to the person corresponding with their ID for the duration of the study. The first page of each booklet will provide detailed instructions for you to follow for the preparation and ingestion of the serum as well as the subsequent evaluations of your experiences.__ Although there is no deadline for handing in your results, we would kindly ask you to complete your part of the experimentation process as soon as possible. We at the Konohagakure Intelligence Division would like to thank you for your time and cooperation in this process._

Sakura skimmed over the signatures at the bottom of the letter she held and reached towards the booklets in the package mentioned in the letter. Kakashi sat silently as she handed him his booklet. She began to read the front page of her booklet.

_Instructions for serum administration and ingestion:_

_*Please note that the prepared serum must be ingested within 6 hours of both participants time of sleep. Failure to sleep in the appropriate time frame may cause unintended side effects._

_1) Ensure the flask you have received is carefully taken out of its packaging. While it is still sealed, one participant must place their left hand upon the side of the glass bottle and concentrate a small amount of chakra into the palm of your hand, which will then permeate the glass. The serum inside will turn a golden yellow when a sufficient amount of chakra is reached. The second participant must perform the exact same step and upon completion, the serum will change to a shade of dark blue._

_2) Only when the dark blue shade has been reached, open the flask and divide the serum between yourselves into two equal parts. Both participants must ingest their half of the serum entirely in order to ensure accurate results._

_3) The following day, use the booklet provided to recount your dream as accurately as possible to the best of your ability. It is completely normal if you are unable to recall the dream in its entirety. We only ask that you recount and explain as accurately as possible._

_In the second part of the evaluation, you will give your own interpretation of the dream, in which you may choose to complete this section with your partner or on your own. We have created this process to establish a shared dream where the subject of the dream will be something that both you and your partner have in common. Your interpretation that you will send back to us will help to give us insight as to what you both have in common and why. Therefore, it is important that this section of the booklet be completed._

_4) Upon completion of each booklet, return them in the original envelope sealed with both identification numbers attached to Lady Tsunade, where you will then receive your monetary compensation for the completion of your participation._

_Please remember that due to the nature of the results we receive, you may be asked to complete the process again, which of course will be completely at yours and your partners discretion. _

Sakura finished reading the page as Kakashi was already fishing out the flask containing the serum from the box. It was a lot smaller than she imagined it to be. She guessed they only needed a small amount of it on order for it to work.

Kakashi's one eye crinkled at her indicating that he was smiling. "Shall we start, then?"

Sakura looked outside to see that the sun was already going down. She has been sitting there longer than she thought.

"What time do you normally sleep?" she asked him as she flipped through the papers of her booklet. Normally she was an early sleeper, in bed by 10pm the latest. She suspected Kakashi-sensei was the polar opposite.

"I can sleep almost any time of the day. I'm usually out by the time I lay down." Kakashi smirked under his mask.

"I see… So I guess we can just take it now then since I'm an early sleeper?" Sakura playfully raised an eyebrow.

"Sure"

Kakashi got up and headed towards the kitchen. He quickly came back with two small shot glasses. Sakura go up and stood there together with the flask and glasses in between them. She looked up at him and for the first time, noticed how much taller he was than her. She figured she'd probably had never been this close to notice his height before. His shoulders were also much broader than she remembered. Or was she imagining things? Her mind went back to the bottle on the table.

"I guess I'll go first." She reached her hand out and cupped one side of the bottle. Her hand began to glow green as she concentrated on the flow of her chakra. It was only a few seconds before the liquid began to turn yellow, just as the instructions said.

"Your turn" Sakura passed the flask over to his end. He did the same until she saw the dark blue begin to emerge from the yellow. Kakashi opened the flask and carefully poured their separate shot glasses.

"Should we toast to something?" Sakura asked as she picked up her glass. Kakashi thought for a moment.

"To old times?" Kakashi held his glass to hers. She clinked them together.

"To old times." She smiled.

They both drank at the same time in one gulp. She decided it tasted like a mix of bitter raspberries and mint. Not the greatest, but not unbearable.

She made small talk with her sensei a bit more before she decided it was time to turn in.

"I better be off now. You know, getting to sleep and all that." Sakura got up and made her way to her things. Her booklet and the jacket she brought with her. Kakashi stood to see her out.

"Will you be ok getting home?" He asked in all seriousness.

Sakura snorted.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm not 12 years old anymore. I'll be fine, don't worry." She said as she headed toward the door. She made sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She made sure to save the envelope for their paperwork to hand in.

"Thank you for dinner, though." she smiled as she opened the apartment door.

"It was my pleasure." He responded. She turned to leave.

"Sweet dreams, Sakura." He quipped with an audible smirk. Stopped in her tracks, Sakura turned back with a teasing smile.

"Sweet dreams, Kakashi-sensei."

The door closed with a soft click as she made her way down the stairwell and out on the street towards her apartment. Her mind wandered to the events of today and what exactly she was going to happen in her dream. For once, she was anxious to get home and get ready for bed.

As she stepped through her door she quickly hopped in the shower and proceeded with her nightly routines before bed. She ended up sitting in bed engrossed a book until her eyes were heavy and decided to call it a night. She laid there waiting patiently for sleep to come,

But it never came.

She tossed and turned constantly. Maybe she was so anxious about the dream that it was keeping her awake? She closed her eyes and tried to relax as much as possible, breathing long and slow breaths. Maybe counting sheep really does work? She thought about giving it a try.

It felt like she would be awake forever until she slowly started to drift off, her mind becoming much quieter…when suddenly, her breath caught as she felt two warm hands slide down her lower body.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Oh ho! got you guys on a cliffhanger! I'll try not to take as long with the next chapter! Please R&R!


End file.
